Animated decorative device simulating a bird or the like



Oct. 11, 1949. G. E. HAWES ANIMATED DECORATIVE DEVICE SIMULATING BIRDS OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 18, 1949 INVENTOR. GEORGE. E. HAWES ATTURNEY Patented Oct. 11, 1949 ANmATED DECORATIVE DEVICE SIMULAT- ING A BIRD OR THE LIKE George E. Hawe's, Bridgeport, Conn. Application February 18, 1949, Serial No. 77,090 3 Chlml. (CL 4.6-124) The present invention relates to an animated decorative device simulating a bird or the like.

.An object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will be set in motion either by a flick of the finger, or by vibratory movement of the article to which the device is attached. It is particularly proposed to provide a device of this character which includes a suction cup element for attachment to the surface of a window pane or the like, and especially the window pane of an automobile where the vibrations normally set up will cause the device to function automatically. A further object is to provide movement imparting supporting means for the body of the device, which in the illustrated embodiment consists of a bird figure, such movement imparting means consisting of leg supports in the form of spring members attached to a perch support resiliently supported by the suction cup, and whereby vibratory movement imparted to the perch through its resilient support by the suction cup in turn imparts movement to the spring leg supports.

A further object is to provide improved attaching means for the spring leg supports, and to this end it is proposed to form the bird figure, or the like, and the perch support from thermoplastic material which may be moulded into interlocking relation with the ends of the spring leg supports by the application of heat.

With the above and other objects in view an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In thedrawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the animated decorative device, according to the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation showing the same attached to a window pane, the latter being shown in vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View on an enlarged scale taken along the line 3-4 of Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the animated decorative device, according to the illustrated exemplary embodiment of the invention, comprises a body member III of relatively light hollow form having the simulated shape of a bird and constructed of moulded thermoplastic material such, for instance, as celluloseacetate. At. the underside of the body ill, at a point substantially in the vertical plane or the center of gravity or the body, there are secured the upper ends of two helically coiled spring members l|--ll simulating the legs of a bird. These upper ends are fixedly secured to the body by forming in the body a pair of pockets 12, each having a projecting lug [3, the ends of the springs being positioned in the pockets with the lugs inserted in them. Thereupon the pocket and lug formations are heated causing the thermoplastic material to flow into the spaces of the coils to thus rigidly secure the legs, the material becoming solid upon cooling.

The lower ends of the spring members ll constituting the legs are secured to a perch member It in similar manner, the perch member being in the form of a bar of suitable thermoplastic material, such as cellulose acetate, having pockets l5 and lugs I6 engaged with and securing the lower ends of the spring members.

The perch II is inserted in a pocket ll of a resilient suction cup member I9, formed of rubber or the like, and adapted to be secured to a window pane or the like l8 by pressing its circular attaching edge against the same to exhaust the air in the cavity 20 of the suction cup. The suction cup includes a neck portion 2! between the pocket I! and the cavity 20, which provides a resilient support for the perch, so that vibratory movement of the window pane or the like is imparted to the perch, such vibratory movement when once started continuing for a considerable period due to the resilient support. This vibratory movement of the perch imparts movement to the spring leg supports ll causing the balance of the body member III to be disturbed thereby producing a teetering or vibratory movement of the body, this movement continuing for a considerable period, once it has started, due to the combined movements of the spring leg supports and the perch. Where the device is supported upon a window pane or the like having little or no vibrations, the figure may be set in motion simply by touching the body member at one side or the other of its center of gravity.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of the invention, but it will be understood that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An animated device of the character described, for attachment to a substantially vertically disposed plane surface, comprising a body member simulating a bird or the like, a pair of amen normally upright spring leg members of equal length and flexibility secured at their upper ends at transversely spaced horizontally aligned points to the lower side of said .body member, a transverse normally horizontal perch .bar in spaced relation below said body member, said leg members being secured at their lower ends at transversely spaced horizontally aligned points to the upper side of said perch bar, and a suction cup for attachment to said plane surface secured to one end of said perch .bansaid suction cup having a circular attaching edge disposed in a vertical plane laterally spaced outwardly from said body member, and the longitudinal axis of said perch bar being normally perpendicular to the vertical plane 01' said attaching edge.

2. The invention, as defined in claim 1, further characterized in that said suction cup has a suction producing concavity at its outer end and an integral horizontal extension at its inner end having a horizontally disposed pocket engaged by one end of said perch bar, there being an integrally connected solid area of resilient material between said concavity and said pocket.

3. An animated device of the character described, comprising a body member simulating a bird or the like, a pair of normally upright helically coiled spring leg members of equal length and flexibility secured at their upper ends at transversely spaced horizontally aligned points to the lower side of said body member, said body member having integral rib-like portions engaged REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

20 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 770,884 Zimmerman Sept. 2'7, 1904 1,006,315 Toth Oct. 17, 1911 1,446,835 Cook Feb. 27, 1923 26 2,122,103 Marisco et a1 June 2a, 1938 2,131,224 Kaack Sept. 2'7, 1938 2,219,130 Hermann Oct. 22, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 39,692 Germany Nov. 20, 1888 

